Paid for and Designed by WV Delegate Craig Blair
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Delegate Craig Blair's
Pledge to the West Virginia Family

This pledge is the result of the belief by many West Virginians that those in power do not adequately reflect their values. West Virginians believe their representatives have lost touch with the everyday problems they face, like putting food on the table, buying gas for the car, or educating and raising their children. West Virginians also sense that some public officials are more concerned with distributing government handouts, gaining more political control and getting re-elected, rather than being concerned with the fact that West Virginia is losing both jobs and young people at an alarming rate. Worst of all, West Virginians do not feel that the government is doing enough to protect our children and families from the increased influence of illegal drugs and other criminal activities.

The West Virginia Legislature has been ruled by just one party since the Great Depression! For over seven (7) decades, the Democrat Party has controlled both houses of the legislature. While the rest of the nation has grown and prospered, West Virginia has cycled from one failure to the next. Our state rankings compared to other states reveal the sad, sad story. West Virginia ranks fifth (5) in the number of people living below poverty level. West Virginia ranks forty-ninth (49) with an average family median income of $40,827 while the national average is $53,692. Furthermore, when you average our five surrounding states, their average median income is $56,120. That's a difference of over $15,000 per year that you and your family should be receiving were it not for decades of misguided leadership. This is exactly why our young people have had little choice but to move out of state where they can obtain an opportunity for a financial future.  On the other end of the spectrum seniors citizens who have been lifelong, hard working West Virginians are being taxed right out of their homes, unable to afford the simple necessities of life, like food and medicine.

This trend will continue to get worse as our next generation of young people flee our state in search of better opportunities. But it does not have to be this way.  The lack of fiscal restraint by our Government, fueled by over-taxation, has compounded the negative effects! Sadly, the majority party still clings to the false belief that West Virginia can tax and regulate its way into prosperity. These policies have failed us in the past and if we do not act now, we will be guaranteed continued failures in the future.

But, there is hope for West Virginia!  Please Read on...

I understand that no government has ever created prosperity by increasing taxes and fees.   We must realize that if we are willing to make the changes necessary to grow our economy, we can quickly reverse the trend of the decades of failed public policies and accumulated debt. That is the core difference between today’s generation of West Virginia Republicans and that of "status quo” Democrat Legislators.
With your support, I will echo your voice loudly in the legislature and together, we can implement this bold and courageous “new agenda” that puts the future of West Virginians first.

Together, I PLEDGE TO YOU:

WE WILL CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYMENT AND EDUCATION
It's time that these Two Issues were Combined Together to create a Partnership for our Future!
  • We Will Reduce Bureaucratic Waste and Spend Education Dollars in the Classrooms not on State Administrators.
  • We Will Allow Local School Boards more Autonomy and grant Greater Flexibility.
  • We Will Redirect Funding to Provide for more Competitive Salaries for Teachers and all State Employees.
  • We Will Reinforce the Fact that Students and Parents also Share the Responsibility for their Education.
  • We Will Ensure the Security of all West Virginia State Employee Retirement Systems.
  • We Will Provide Employment Opportunities for Our Graduates.  Too Many Young, Talented Adults have left our State for Gainful Employment Opportunities.  Our Children are West Virginia's Future.

WE WILL ESTABLISH COMPREHENSIVE TAX & LEGAL REFORMS
Tired of Paying too much in Taxes and not Seeing any Results from your Hard-Earned Investment?
  • We Will Completely Eliminate the Tax on Food which will Save the Average Family of four $156 per year.
  • We Will Have non-Partisan Elections for Judges and Stop the "Lottery Mentality" regarding Frivolous Lawsuits. 
  • We Will Review Spending by all State Agencies, Cut Wasteful Spending and Return Excess Revenues back to the Taxpayers.
  • We Will Raise the Homestead Exemption for Seniors.  We Must Stop Taxing Lifelong Residents Out of Their Home!
  • We Will Eliminate Income Tax for those Earning Less than $20,000 which will include Seniors.
  • We Will Undertake a Full audit of the $2.6 billion Medicaid Budget. This has not been done for over Eleven (11) years. 
  • We Will Eliminate Business Franchise Tax to Enhance Business Expansion and Employment Opportunities
  • We Will Repeal the Wholesale Gas Tax which also Taxes Heating Oil.
  • We Will Overhaul the Tax Code to Allow Greater Regional Control and Promote Job Growth              

WE WILL ENSURE BETTER HEALTH CARE COVERAGE FOR WORKING WEST VIRGINIANS, RATHER THAN PROVIDING IT FOR CONVICTED CRIMINALS
Sounds crazy doesn't it? Why Do Incarcerated Murderers, Thieves, Rapists, Drug Traffickers and their Addicts all have Better Health Care than Many Working West Virginians? This is WRONG!
  • We Will Offer Tax Incentives to Employers Who Provide Health Care Coverage to Their Employees, Especially Low Wage Earners.
  • We Will Promote Health Care Savings Accounts, Providing People a Vested Interest in their Own Well Being.
  • We Will Encourage Employee Wellness and Fitness Programs.
  • We Will Substantially Increase the Punishment for Trafficking Drugs to Ensure that Dealers will avoid West Virginia and our children.  Drug Traffickers will no longer Risk the "Open for Business" Signs along Our Interstate Highways.
  • We Will Allow Regional Jails to Work Inmates to Offset Taxpayers Expenses for Inmate Housing.
  • We Will Make prisons “miserable and cheap” so that those who enter would never want to return.

WE WILL RESTORE TRADITIONAL WEST VIRGINIA FAMILY VALUES
Are you Discouraged by the Legislature's failure to Reflect the Values we Share as West Virginians?
  • We Will Constitutionally Protect current West Virginia law by Defining Marriage as a “union of one man and one woman” and Reject any other States’ Attempt to Redefine Marriage Otherwise.
  • We Will Require Parental Notification before a Minor Child can receive an Abortion and Continue to Promote Polices that Value all Human Life.
  • We Will Foster a Family Atmosphere that Recognizes the Value of Two Parent Families and Promote "Children First" Custody Laws.
  • We Will Continue to Strengthen our Laws to Protect our Children and Families from Child Molesters, Sexual Predators and Rapists.
  • We Will Reduce West Virginia’s Budget Dependency on Neighborhood Gambling Parlors where Proceeds are Obtained at the Expense of West Virginia’s Less Fortunate and Their Families.

WE WILL RESTORE THE TAXPAYER’S FAITH IN GOVERNMENT
Your Government should Serve You, both Honestly and Fairly.  Voters Seem to Like Their Local Legislators, but Distrust the Legislature as a Whole.  The Time has Come for all West Virginians to Hold Your Local Politicians Accountable for Their Legislative Votes and for the Better Government You Deserve.
  • We Will Provide the Citizens their Right of Initiative, Referendum, Recall so that all West Virginians can have Better Control and Greater Participation in their Government.
  • We Will Provide the Citizens a strong and effective Ethics Commission and ensure vigorous prosecution to Stop the Continuous Cycle of Political Corruption.
  • We Will Reduce or Eliminate Most Legislative Interim Meetings and Travel Junkets that Waste Taxpayer Dollars. 

SINCE 2002, REPUBLICANS HAVE EFFECTIVELY PILOTED THE WAY TO A BETTER WEST VIRGINIA!
Leadership has Continuously Refused to Act until Threatened with Crisis or Political Embarrassment.
During the Last Six Years, Republicans have Driven all Major Reforms or Repeals including the following:

  • Medical Malpractice 2003
  • Workers’ Compensation 2003 & 2005
  • Tort Laws Reform 2005
  • Eminent Domain 2006
  • West Virginia Turnpike Tolls Rollback 2006
  • Protecting Children from Sexual Predators 2006
  • Elimination of the Food Tax 2006, 2007, 2008
  • Reformed the Automobile Privilege Tax 2007
  • Castle Doctrine/2nd Amendment 2008
  • Strengthened Child Custody/False Allegations 2008

I believe that governments exist to serve and protect the interests of the individual, without compromising the rights of life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness. I believe that state government should provide only for those services that the individual cannot do alone and that a smaller, more accountable and fiscally responsible state government will better serve the citizens of West Virginia. Government should not grow beyond the growth in population and the rate of inflation and that budget surpluses should be returned to the taxpayers who have paid them.

My vision of changing the tax structure and implementing further tort reforms will improve the business climate thus bringing more employers to our state. As jobs increase, employment will broaden, stabilizing our tax base while increasing revenues. A strong treasury combined with a lean, efficient government will allow our state to fully invest in our future commitments like education, roads and the safety and well-being of your family.  West Virginians deserve more jobs and better pay.